AvtoStart - Power bank. Testing on the Arctic Circle

The article by Dadget described an interesting device that allows you to start the car without any help, and in the comments there was a lively discussion about how the device will behave at temperatures close to extreme. In winter, the car battery freezes and discharges quite often on the Arctic Circle (especially if you don’t start the car every day, as I do) when using Webasto / Hydronic. Therefore, I was interested in the device. Autostart was provided by the Dadjet shop for the test.

Immediately I apologize for the lack of photos and videos of the process of testosis, but understand: the polar night, the drifts, the cold - not at all before photographing or video filming.

Standard equipment: instructions, wires- "crocodiles", a car charger from the cigarette lighter and a wire for charging gadgets (microUSB, Apple Lightning, Apple 30-pin).
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Some notes:

• The braid of wires- “crocodiles” is of rather high quality, it does not become “oak” in the cold, rather elastic, and there were no connection problems.
• The “crocodiles” themselves are a bit small, but considering the mobility of the device, this is understandable (the wires and AvtoStart fit perfectly in the pocket of the jacket). Connect, in principle, it is possible, but not always the first time it turns out to put a “crocodile” on the battery terminal, which is already attached to the terminal of the car. But it's all in thick gloves, but if you use ordinary thin gloves, then there are no problems with the connection.
• If Dadjet adds a connector to the package that is used when connecting crocodile wires, then people with hands will be able to connect the crocodiles they need with the right cable length.
• Connecting the connector itself is not always convenient, you have to make an effort to insert it into AutoStart, and given the glossy surface of the device, there is a chance that it can slip out.
• The flashlight provided by the device is useful, but it is inconvenient to press the switch-on button to turn it on in winter with thick gloves.

I don’t see the point of describing the test of the device exactly how the Power Bank is; It can be carried in a pocket, backpack, bag. It is slightly larger than the banal iPhone (and does not bend), if you do not take into account the thickness, although its thickness, compared to the Power Bank, which I saw, is one of the smallest.

The test took place on the car Citroen C4 2009, 1.6 liter engine, power 109 l / s, gasoline, oil Castrol EDGE 0W-30. In general, the usual puzotrka.
The battery is recessed under the dashboard, it is inconvenient to remove it in the winter, access to the negative terminal of the battery is also difficult, it is especially difficult to remove plastic parts on the latches - in case of frost the plastic cracks and bursts like an eggshell.


photo found in google for understanding battery location

In connection with this, the minus terminal of Autostart was connected, as it was written in the instructions for the car, to a special place of the car frame.


During all tests, the battery was not fully discharged, the alarm worked, the webasto started and worked out the right time to warm up the engine to +5 degrees minimum. In each test, the AvtoStart temperature was room temperature. During one of the tests, the device fell into a snowdrift with connectors, but after purging it worked as if nothing had happened.

So, the first test:

• Auto downtime: 3 weeks
• Average temperature: -25-30
• Temperature on the day of the test: -39, wind 1-2 m / s

Before the start of the test, Webasto was turned on for 50 minutes.
After the time expired, an attempt was made to start the car from the alarm console; the launch failed. After, warmly dressed, made an attempt to start with a key, the starter did not even try to spin, only relay clicks were heard. Then, according to the instructions, AvtoStart was connected and another attempt was made to start the engine, but no changes followed. This test is over. Too cold to continue.

Test Two:

• Auto downtime: 1 week
• Average temperature: -20-30 + strong snowstorm (according to feelings up to -55)
• Temperature on the test day: -23, wind 1-2 m / s

Turned on Webasto for 40 minutes, went outside with a shovel, as the car during idle time turned into a snowdrift. At this time, the starter spun treacherously, but his efforts were not enough to start the engine. Three attempts were made on three-four turns. Next came AvtoStart. About five minutes elapsed between connecting the device and the launch attempt - a phone call was intercepted from the process. Put the key, turn, iiii ... the engine started! Hooray! Perhaps the reason for success lies precisely in this five-minute wait, although it is possible that the warmer weather also affected.

Test three:

• Auto downtime: 4 days
• Average temperature: -20-30 + blizzard (feels up to -50)
• Temperature on the day of the test: -26, wind 2-3 m / s

Before the start of the test, I launched Webasto for an hour, after I tried to start the car from the remote control - it did not work. I went out, got through the drifts to the car, tried to start it with the key, but the starter did not even try to spin (only relay clicks were heard). I connected the device and waited two minutes - failure, five minutes of waiting - failure, ten minutes and failure again.

Test Four:

• Auto downtime: 2 days
• Average temperature: -20-25
• Temperature on the day of the test: -21, wind 3 m / s

The last test was decided to do after less idle time and at a temperature not lower than -25, Webasto switched on for 15 minutes. The car did not start from the console, after trying to start it with the key, the starter made a half turn and gave up. I connected AvtoStart, waited three minutes and tried to start it. From the first time, the car did not start (it is understandable, because Webasto worked a little and the engine oil is still thick), but at the second attempt everything turned out. It was not possible to disable AvtoStart for 30 seconds, as it is written in the instructions - the car stalled as soon as I removed my foot from the gas pedal. I had to start again. After about two or three minutes, when the engine was able to keep idle on its own, I turned off AutoStart.

Additionally:

Conducted a test for frost resistance of the device. He left it on the balcony at night at a temperature of -30 degrees, the balcony is not warm, the temperature is like on the street. In the morning I connected the fully installed iPhone 3G, the phone began to charge, and the device showed a full charge.
It is worth noting that for all the time the device was charged once - immediately upon receipt. After all the experiments, the device charge indicator showed 100%.

Findings:

When the temperature is below -25 degrees and the wind blows, the battery cools so much that it is not always enough for Webasto and engine start, either one or the other. Only a very rich person would dare to start the engine “cold”, I think. The device has partially met expectations, but even it is powerless in the Arctic Circle, but it can easily cope if it is warm in the street by northern standards (about -20 degrees). I believe that in the middle lane of AvtoStart cope with their tasks perfectly. Unfortunately, it is difficult for me to carry out tests at a temperature of -15-20 - in such weather, the car starts up perfectly. You can turn on the lights at night, but then the battery will sit down completely, and even AutoStart can no longer save (although this test can also be carried out in the spring). After all the unsuccessful tests, the car was started with the help of friends who gave them a light, there were no problems with the plant in this way.
The device fully justifies its name, it is free to keep it (in terms of space occupied) in the glove compartment of the car. He is not afraid of cold, he will charge your gadget, even when you spent all day, for example, on skis in the dead of the tundra. As for assistance in a car factory, I would not recommend buying it to those who have -20 outside in the street without wind, it is warm. But those who live in more favorable conditions may well resort to his help.

I want to thank the store Dadzhet for providing AutoStart to the test and Vyacheslav Egorov (my old friend) for help with photos.

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V. Egorov (photo)
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